Once Upon a Time in Anatolia

Very powerful movie of NBC, yet not his best. There are so many layers to this film, it communicates on so many levels. If you are stuck on the very first layer you will not enjoy it. Depth is not for everyone, some can only swim on the surface. The film is about not being able to communicate, almost every level on society from, a common NBC film generality. It is a murder story, yet it also is a slice of real life from the bitter but beautiful Anatolia. A society that hangs on their tribal,religious fear ridden ways of living with hopeless and inadequate state intervention to change that. This is not a simple murder story, even if you take the murder part of the story; it is unsolved from the beginning to the very end, and non-communicative will never understand the plot of the murder. Kenan is the real father of the victim's child. But is this the reason of the murder? No. There is a much sinister reason for this murder. The one's who really watch this film, remember Kenan's brother tells that he is the one who killed Yasar. Remember film starts with a scene, these three man drinking. Also, Yasar had no underwear when he was found dead and his trousers were down too, in the morgue a joke were mentioned as he was ready for action when he was found dead. Another point, Commisar Naci mentions that Yasar lived like a rat and died like one, he says "Don't get me started..." to talk about Yasar. Yasar has a bad name. Yasar has a young beautiful wife, but he did not get her pregnant. Somebody else did, his friend Kenan. Yasar is a homosexual, and he probably wanted to rape Kenan's poor brother. Also Kenan probably worried that he will do this to his son. This was a sort of an honour killing. Anatolian style. The doctor had to turn a blind eye. He probably thought this was the best for the one's left behind. No one there in that team of policeman, prosecutor etc. not aware of any of this, they do not communicate. They can't. This is a society all wrapped up in the inabilities, deficiencies, ugliness and all sorts. They can not look forward and see some sense. In all these ugliness, there is beauty, Anatolian landscape with its untouched, innocent, virginity and the Anatolian women. When those man see this beauty they can only cry.

Masterpiece. I think the prosecutor is at least as important as the doctor, and, indeed, helps form and shape the latter's character, in as much as some 20 hours of intermittent conversations can do to an adult. Most other conversations, and characters, and even the 'police procedural' itself, are almost as supporting characters to their drama. I think, more than any single film director, the Russian writer, Anton Chekhov, is the single most important influence on the drama that unfolds.

This was by far the most boring movie I have ever seen. I cannot believe I wasted 2.5 hours on it! Thanks to you photography aficionados for rating this so highly... I could really care less about the photography. This movie has no storyline and watching it was a test of endurance. Excruciatingly SLOW and BORING!

Intriguing and thought provoking; notwithstanding about an hour too long.

I am not surprised this film divides opinion as it is clearly not everyone's cup of tea. I really enjoyed it ( l think it makes sense the begin at that point rather than say its good or bad) and l can say why- although for me a little long. There is a lot to enjoy in the gradual unfurling of events and character but it is an extremely morbid film. In large part it is a meditation on attitudes towards life and death including its (as with everything else in life) inevitable bureaucratisation. There is plenty of dark humour shot through the proceedings but the real darkness is in the back stories of the main protagonists lives. As others have mentioned the cinematography is stunning, the characters engaging and believable, the camera shots varied and interesting, There are many memorable scenes not least of which when the death fixated (and lonely) doctor looks longingly at the departing widow of the murderd man, a small part of her dead husbands blood unnoticed to him, on his cheek. A man who sees death everywhere, drawn to life yet unable to connect. Great stuff.

One of the favourite investigation movies I have ever seen. Superb cinematography and Brilliant casting.

Stunning: like tarkovsky's films, fascinating, beautiful, moving, intelligent, simple

Fantastic, like a Russian play or novel (signalled by the doctor) with all the depth and subtlety you would find therein.

Didn't like it. Trying to be a Tarkovsky without the soul or intellect.

Glad I don't have to go to the cinema with YOU Ed! Every wonderful film will not appeal to everyone and you are obviously one of those people who needs to be told what is going on, minute by minute. This film is about the fact that there are NO answers, no black and white, no stark 'good' and 'bad'. If you have gone through life looking for such certainties , you must be very tired by now!